Tools

Smith Westerns, Yuck

When: Sun., Jan. 30, 9:30 p.m. 2011Price: $9-11

If only all nostalgia trips were this enjoyable. The charmingly scruffy garage-glam that Chicago's Smith Westerns offered on their small-press, self-titled 2009 debut gained the group a little buzz in certain circles. Fat Possum Records reissued the LP in 2010, giving the buzz some wings. With 2011's Dye It Blonde, the Smith Westerns manage to smooth out some of their rough edges without sacrificing any of the power their particular flavor of pop packs, which is the sort of mature refinement that's only going to make them an even bigger deal. Show openers (and fellow Fat Possum labelmates) Yuck are also poised to make some noise, thanks to their inspired take on meat-and-potatoes mid-'90s indie rock. —David Raposa